House Shoring

House shoring refers to the process of raising a house or any other structure using metal props when a building is at the risk of collapsing or to enable repairs. Shoring is a component of house-leveling. It is one of the important steps carried out to improve the integrity of a foundation when it’s new and for future years. Besides, all foundations are prone to movement over the years. As the movement happens, weight distribution becomes imbalanced. Therefore, shoring your New Orleans house is important as it restores an equal weight distribution and secures the foundation.

How Shoring is Done

The process of house shoring begins with pinpointing an issue in the foundation. Once this has been done, the shoring machine is brought on site to bore holes to the depth recommended by the design drawing. This is followed by the insertion of steel beams in the hole. Thirdly, the holes are filled with structural concrete. In this step, it is important to ensure that the concrete reaches the level of the proposed grade and height ensuring that the pile is encased in concrete.

Thereafter, our shoring service can begin excavating the soil and horizontally inserting wood boards under the two piles. The excavation continues until the desired depth has been reached per the design guidelines. Finally, dirt or gravel is used to fill the area before the wood boards before a drainage mat is installed against them. This process is usually tasking and if not done right, it could result in heavy damages on your home. To ensure that shoring of your New Orleans home is done right, it is important that you hire a professional.

If you plan on having your home shored, it is important to note that there are a few ways of shoring of homes. The shoring method used is dependant on the conditions of the site including ground water conditions, soil conditions, and the loads to be held by the structure. The most common types of house elevations include;

• Flying shores – your house is eligible for a house shoring if there are two buildings involved. This shoring is done to stabilize one building when the other is being removed or repaired.
• Dead shores – your house will undergo a dead shore if most of it is damaged or if it has to be moved. This shore is built with beams and posts to strengthen the foundation.
• Raking shores – these are used to support walls that are structurally weak. Raking shores help to keep walls intact so as to prevent damage to the building.

Reasons to Have your House Shored

• Protecting homes from floods – One of the benefits of shoring is securing structures from floods. New Orleans is highly susceptible to floods from natural rainfall and the neighboring Lake Pontchartrain and Mississippi River. Additionally, New Orleans has with time sunk to a lower sea-level, thus increasing its risk to flooding. If you reside in this region, it is important to shore your home so as to protect your investment and loved ones from floods.
• Increasing the value of your property – shoring your New Orleans house can dramatically increase its value. Besides, houses that have been elevated are thought to be more secure as their foundations are stable. Therefore, they attract a higher market price than those that are not shored
• Lower flood insurance premiums- shoring your house helps to secure it from floods. Therefore, insurers are likely to charge you less premiums because your home is less likely to be affected by floods in New Orleans.